Ahead of his PFL Championship bout against fellow American Top Team teammate Magomed Magomedkerimov, Gleison Tibau gives his thoughts on the upcoming million-dollar prize fight against his friend.
PHOTO COURTESY: Cooper Neill
It is never a simple task when athletes must mentally and physically prepare themselves to face their opposition. This task becomes exponentially more complicated when a fighter must face an opponent with whom they are personally familiar. At the PFL Finals, two friends will clash at the first-ever Professional Fighters League pay-per-view event.
"On our situation, you know, I fight my friend, we train together. This is hard, too, for me," Gleison Tibau told reporters ahead of his bout against teammate Magomed Magomedkerimov. "You know, we train here at American Top Team; we know everybody. Never [had] a problem here, you know, they [are] friends, everybody. This is hard too, [but] this is the job. Let's go, let's go working, let's go for a good fight, so everybody stays excited for this fight."
Tibau is no mere novice to this game. Tibau has emerged from the cage with victories over Rafael Dos Anjos, Jamie Varner, Jeremy Stephens, Josh Neer, and Caol Uno. A BJJ black belt who trains out of American Top Team, Tibau is revered for his strength and size in his weight division. The UFC veteran Tibau has faced some of the most menacing and famous fighters to grace the sport, including Islam Makhachev, Tony Ferguson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nick Diaz, Rory MacDonald, and Thiago Alves.
Gleison Tibau will be fighting his ATT teammate Magomed Magomedkerimov at the PFL Finals in Madison Square Garden
Tibau spoke to the media at his home gym, American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, about his thoughts on his upcoming matchup against his current teammate Magomedkerimov.
"Why did we take this man? Maybe the PFL can change opponents," Tibau said regarding the early idea of him having to face his teammate. However, they soon learned they would have no alternative, so Tibau and Magomedkerimov accepted the fight.
Despite having to face his teammate, Tibau is prepared to put his all in the cage at the million-dollar PFL Championship in Madison Square Garden.
"I say no matter what, I have a good routine. Very strong. Good wrestling. Good striking. You know, everything. I stay [paying] attention [to Magomedkerimov] all the time."
The 2022 PFL Finals take place on Friday, November 25, 2022, live from the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. Follow along with Crimson Combat for all your news and highlights.